Guidance Elucidated - Aitzoas Hamivoaroas

HH

Truth and Faith

1

The main redemption depends on faith. For the primary cause of exile is solely due to a deficiency in faith. In other words, redemption will come when the Children of Israel strengthen themselves in true faith and believe that everything that occurs in the world in general, and everything that happens to each individual in particular—whether suffering, God forbid, or spaciousness—originates from His individual Divine Providence, blessed be He, and not from the course of nature. Furthermore, they must believe that everything the Holy One, blessed be He, brings about for a person is solely for their good, as explained in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory: "All that the Merciful One does, he does it for good" (Berachot 60b; Zohar I, 181a). This implies that everything the Holy One, blessed be He, does with His servants is absolute good, as further explained in all books of truth, and particularly in Likkutei Halachot (Laws of Passover 5:9, Laws of Circumcision 5:5, and others). For the afflictions that the Holy One, blessed be He, sends to a person are intended to awaken them from their slumber, so that they may turn from the way of error to the path of Torah, the path of truth, as explained in Likutay Moharan (Part I, Section 206) on the verse, "I have strayed like a lost sheep" (Psalms 119:176), and as explained in Rashi's commentary on the verse, "You reduce man to the crushing point and say, 'Return, O children of men'" (Psalms 90:3). For the Holy One, blessed be He, sends severe afflictions, Heaven forbid, to a person, and through them, He warns him to turn from his evil way. Conversely, when it is spaciousness, the Holy One, blessed be He, bestows goodness to test whether a person will recognize and believe that the goodness and kindness come from His specific Providence (hashgacha pratis), or whether, God forbid, they will think that they amassed the good through their own efforts and wisdom.  

Moreover, one must believe that anyone who violates a single commandment of the Torah due to mockery or denial will surely be punished. Although it may outwardly appear that transgressors are not punished—on the contrary, they succeed in all worldly matters, whether in physical health, livelihood, or the like—one must believe and know that the success of transgressors is merely a test for the God-fearing and truly faithful, (to see) if they will hold fast and hold to the absolute truth, even though they see that transgression does not immediately cause harm, while the path of righteousness and truth does not immediately lead to success. But in truth, Hashem, blessed be He, will not show favor to mockers and heretics for transgressing the Torah's commandments, nor for their scorn and derision of truth and true faith. And if they do not repent of their evil and false ideology, and do not turn their faces to the true faith and the fulfillment of the Torah, they will be punished with severe punishments, and their apparent success will turn against them into troubles and afflictions, as explained in the Psalm, "A Song for the Sabbath Day" (Psalms 92:8): "When the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, it is so they may be destroyed forever." That is, the great success of evildoers is in order that they are obliterated forever.  

When the Children of Israel attain faith as described in this section, even if only a single group does so, the complete redemption will surely draw near, as explained in the Holy Zohar (Zohar Chadash, Noah, 23c): "With one assembly," meaning that even if only a single group of people reaches the true faith properly, immediately redemption will come, with the help of Hashem, blessed be He.  

Furthermore, the main exile in its individual aspect—where every Jew is oppressed and distressed with sadness, with worries, with questions, and doubts, and with bitterness due to their various life's misadventures, whether in physical health, livelihood, or other matters, whether concerning themselves or their household— all this is due to lack of faith in specific Divine Providence (Hashgacha Pratis). That is, he does not believe that everything that happens to him, whether afflictions or spaciousness, all is orchestrated by His specific Providence, blessed be He, and not by the course of nature. And he doesn't believe that there is no help or salvation from afflictions except from Hashem, blessed be He, and that in truth, no natural effort will avail, as explained in Psalms (147:10-11): "Not in the strength of the horse does He desire, nor in the legs of man does He want." This means that Hashem, blessed be He, does not desire reliance on natural causes, but rather: "The Lord desires those who fear Him, those who hope for His kindness." This implies that He, so to speak, desires that they believe in His specific Providence (Hashgacha Pratis), trust in Him, and hope for His kindness.  

However, due to a lack of faith in specific Divine Providence (Hashgacha Pratis) and reliance on endeavors by natural means contrary to the will of Hashem, no good comes from this. And when these efforts fail to bring salvation, one falls into sadness, and worries, and depression, which is the harshest form of exile, may the Merciful One save us. And all this is due to a lack of faith in individual Divine Providence, meaning that they do not beseech salvation and mercy from Hashem, blessed be He, in every matter they need in truth. But with complete faith, as explained in this section, one is saved from all forms of exile, both general and individual, as stated at the beginning of this section: that the main redemption comes through faith.

Great blessings of Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Meuman!